Texturing and interlacing machine

ABSTRACT

The machine comprises a texturing zone ( 12 ) trough which a covering yarn ( 22 ) advances; a feed unit (C) for an elastomer yarn ( 20 ); combining means to combine the textured covering yarn ( 22 ) with the elastomer yarn ( 20 ), said means comprising a first roller (B) to which said textured covering yarn ( 22 ) and said elastomer yarn ( 20 ) are fed; downstream of said first roller (B) an interlacing device ( 23 ) to interlace said textured covering yarn ( 22 ) and said elastomer yarn ( 20 ). Moreover, a drawing roller (A) for the textured covering yarn ( 22 ) is also provided between the texturing zone ( 12 ) and said first roller (B) of the combining means.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a machine for texturing yarns, composedas known in the art of a feed section (creel), a texturing treatmentsection, and a section to take up the textured yarn (collection).

PRIOR ART

The system known in the art combines, downstream of these machines, oneor more textured yarns with an elastomer yarn, generally Lycra, which ispre-stretched to impart greater elasticity to the combined yarns. Thetextured yarn forms a covering or coating around the elastomer yarn.Combination is performed with specific interlacing devices, generallyair interlacing devices. An example of air interlacing is described inU.S. Pat. No. 3,940,917.

This process is also integrated with texturing machines to obtain, in asingle cycle, the functions of texturing and interlacing. Combineddevices to perform in-line texturing of the covering yarn an subsequentcombination with the elastomer yarn are described in U.S. Pat. No.6,393,817 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,992. Nonetheless, there are somedrawbacks in known embodiments of this type. Firstly, the feed unit forthe elastomer yarn is situated in a distant position from the texturingmachine, and is thus inconvenient for the operator.

Moreover, the elastomer and textured yarns are fed directly to theinterlacing zone. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,992 the textured yarn is feddirectly into a nip between two feed rollers, into which the elastomeryarn is also fed, coming directly from an unwinder of a package ofelastomer. The two yarns are delivered from the feed rollers to theinterlacing jet.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is the production of a combinedmachine, for texturing of a covering or coating yarn and for interlacingthis yarn with an elastomer yarn, which overcomes the drawbacks ofmachines knon in the art.

This and other objects and advantages, which shall appear clear to thoseskilled in the art from reading the text hereinafter, are attained witha machine comprising: a texturing zone trough which a covering yarnadvances; a feed unit for an elastomer yarn; combining means to combinethe textured covering yarn with the elastomer yarn, which comprises afirst roller to which the textured covering yarn and the elastomer yarnare fed; downstream of the first roller an interlacing device forinterlacing said textured covering yarn and said elastomer yarn.Characteristically, according to the invention, a drawing roller of thetextured covering yarn is disposed between the texturing zone and thefirst roller of combining means.

Advantageously, the speed ratio between the first roller of thecombining means, the drawing roller and/or the feed unit of theelastomer yarn may be variable.

Further advantageous characteristics and embodiments of the inventionare indicated in the appended claims.

The invention makes it possible to attain overfeed ratios (possibly alsostretch to encourage better return) of the textured yarn and of stretchof the elastomer yarn before they enter the interlacing phase, to allowthis phase to be performed in the most advantageous conditions.

This produces an excellent quality of resulting yarn and possibly also areduction in air consumption in the interlacing device.

The position of the feed device of the elastomer yarn immediatelydownstream of the drawing roller of the textured yarn is ideal tofacilitate threading, that is to say initial introduction of the yarninto the machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention shall now be described with reference to the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a texturing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration, enlarged in relation to FIG. 1, of the partof the texturing machine dedicated to combining and interlacing thetextured yarn with the elastomer yarn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference firstly to FIG. 1, the machine illustrated comprises, asknown in the art, a feed zone 10 for the covering yarn 22 to betextured, a texturing zone 12, which terminates with a roller A to pickup the textured yarn 22. The roller A cooperates with a counter pressureroller A1.

Downstream of the roller A, in a position immediately adjacent to it, isa unit C to feed elastomer yarn 20, for example Lycra (see FIG. 2) whichsends this elastomer yarn 20 to another additional roller B which formspart of combining means of the yarns 20 and 22 and to which the texturedcovering yarn 22 coming from the roller A is simultaneously fed. Theroller B cooperates with a counter pressure roller B1.

The ratio between the speed of rotation of the rollers A and B may beestablished as desired so as to allocate the textured covering yarn 22 astretch or an overfeed chosen at will by the operatore to obtain themost favourable conditions. Naturally, it is also possible to obtain acircumferential speed ratio of the rollers A and B of 1, with simpletransfer of the yarn.

Likewise, the stretch ratio between the roller B and the delivery rollerof the feed unit C may be chosen at will, to impart the desired stretchto the elastomer yarn 20, which may differ from the stretch of thetextured covering yarn 22.

In this way, the two yarns, textured 22 ad elastomer 20, are sent tointerlacing device 23 without being subjected to, in this device,stresses of any nature and in particular stretch or overfeed stressesdiffering from each other. This produces a better quality in theresulting yarn and possibly also a reduction in air consumption in theinterlacing device 23.

Positioned at the outlet in the interlacing device 23 is a pick uproller D for the composite yarn, formed by interlacing the yarns 20 e22. the roller D cooperates with a counter pressure roller D1. Theroller D is preferably operated at the most appropriate speed of theroller B (generally overfeed), in order to obtain the best interlacingconditions.

Downstream of the roller D (FIG. 1) the composite yarn is collected in asection 14 of the machine, according to conventional methods.

It is understood that the drawing only shows one embodiment providedpurely as a practical illustration of the invention, as the inventionmay vary in form and layout without departing from the scope of theconcept which forms the invention. The presence of any referencenumerals in the appended claims is intended to faclitate reading of theclaims with reference to the description and the drawing, and does notlimit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

1) Machine for texturing a covering yarn (22) and interlacing saidtextured covering yarn (22) with an elastomer yarn (20), comprising: atexturing zone (12) trough which said covering yarn (22) advances; afeed unit (C) for the elastomer yarn (20); combining means to combinethe textured covering yarn (22) with the elastomer yarn (20), said meanscomprising a first roller (B) to which said textured covering yarn (22)and said elastomer yarn (20) are fed; downstream of said first roller(B) an interlacing device (23) to interlace said textured covering yarn(22) and said elastomer yarn (20) characterized by a drawing roller (A)for the textured covering yarn (22) disposed between the texturing zone(12) and said first roller (B) of the combining means. 2) Machine asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the ratio between the rotationspeed of the first roller (B) of the combining means and the rotationspeed of the drawing roller (A) is variable. 3) Machine as claimed inclaim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotation speed of the firstroller (B) of the combining means can be regulated to vary at will theratio of the speeds in relation to the drawing roller (A) of thetextured covering yarn (22). 4) Machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3,characterized in that the ratio of the rotation speeds of the firstroller (B) in the combinig means and of the feed unit (C) of theelastomer yarn (20) can be regulated to obtain the desired stretch ratioof the elastomer yarn prior to interlacing. 5) Machine as claimed in oneor more of the previous claims, characterized in that positioneddownstream of the interlacing device is a delivery roller (D) and inthat the ratio between the speeds of the first roller of the combiningmeans and the delivery roller (D) can be regulated. 6) Machine asclaimed in claim 5, characterized in that the speed of the first roller(B) of the combining means is greater than the speed of the deliveryroller (D) to obtain an overfeed. 7) Machine as claimed in one or moreof the previous claims, characterized in that the feed unit (C) of theelastomer yarn is disposed immediately adjacent to and downstream of thrdrawing roller (A) of the textured covering yarn (22), in anintermediate position between said drawing roller and said first roller(B) of the combining means. 8) Machine as claimed in one or more of theprevious claims, characterized in that disposed along the path of thetextured covering yarns (22), between said drawing roller (A) and saidfirst roller (B) of the combining means, is an oven (25) for heating andstabilizing the textured covering yarn.